This week Ete talks to Heber entrepreneur, John Call. 

Even as a kid, John Call knew that when it came to making money, he didn’t want to work for someone else. Why bag groceries at a grocery store or pick beans for a local farmer, when he could be doing his own thing? From selling door-to knife and scissor sharpening, to starting his own neighborhood car wash, to painting street numbers on curbs for homeowners, kid John loved the freedom and unlimited potential of working for himself. Society and fears around job security pushed him to follow the traditional career path, and he really gave it a go at BYU, but his undeniable entrepreneurial bent meant that he found side hustles–like selling “Coed Naked Family Home Evening” shirts to BYU students and bootlegged “Families are Forever” Simpsons t-shirts at the Manti Pageant–much more satisfying (and lucrative) than his fairly cush job at UPS. He was darn good at making money in more interesting, less orthodox ways. Follow John’s story as he leaves a stable sales job to start Mrs. Call’s candy, comes to own and then sell an even bigger Salt Lake candy and nut company, and eventually finds his way into selling shipping containers. John’s story shows us the ups and downs of entrepreneurship: the thrill of cutting your own path and succeeding at making money, and the difficulty of being the one who is ultimately responsible for getting everything done right. John story includes both the excitement of turning a company around, and the frustration of helplessly watching a business deal crumbles at the last minute. It’s a wild ride. And along the way John points out some truly insightful business and life lessons gleaned from his experiences. Enjoy.